Secrets in the Shadows
by The Corrupted Typer
Summary: Aya Windrunner, a young archer under the teachings of her aunt Sylvanas, has been kept a secret from the rest of Azeroth. She is the daughter of the awed and legendary Alleria Windrunner, and is a prodigy among the elves. But her heritage isn't completely great. A dark secret has been kept from her, a secret that dares to ruin her entire future, and the future of Azeroth with it.
1. Chapter 1

Aya rode through the woods, as fast as a lightning bolt, atop her skeleton horse. Her teacher and mentor, Sylvanas Windrunner, rode close by her side. The hooves of their mounts sounded louder than thunder in a storm, and they tired ever so quickly. Behind them, agents of the alliance chased them through the woods of tirisfal glades. They were night elves, from what Aya could tell, and they were right on their heels.

"This way!" shouted Sylvanas above the wind.

Aya turned abruptly to the left, trying to lose their attackers. She looked back, hoping that they were gone, but they had only slowed a bit. They picked up their pace again quickly, and Aya cursed under her breath.

She had rarely seen alliance members so close to the horde city and undead capital Undercity, but it seemed as if their enemies had become even more ruthless over the past few months. Ever since the Lich king had started his assault on the mortal world, the alliance had been taking advantage of the undead's distraction. All of the fighters among the undead race had been preparing for an attack on the lich king's forces, and eventually the lich king himself. They had been caught off guard by the sudden attacks from the alliance, specifically the humans.

Aya looked beside her to see that Sylvanas looked angry, but there was a flicker of worry in her eyes, but it was gone in a second. Aya looked forward and narrowly avoided a huge tree. Shaken, she stayed focused on the route ahead. They had been out hunting and practicing earlier that morning, when they had been ambushed by a group of night elf rogues. They had been able to get to the horses and get a head start towards Undercity, but the night elves had caught up to them on their fast nightsabers.

Every once and a while Aya could hear one of the huge cats roar, and it sent chills up her spine. She could hear them getting closer and closer with every step, and the only think keeping them from victory was Sylvanas's sneaky tricks. Aya silently thanked the fates that her master was ever so smart and sneaky. She had no idea what they would be doing right now if she hadn't been like that.

Aya sneaked a quick glance at her mentor, to see if she had signaled anything, but she seemed to be in deep thought. Aya looked back quickly and saw the night elves staring right back at her. She looked forward gain quickly. She didn't like looking at them, they were fellow elves.

Unlike other members of the horde, Aya had grown up with close relationships with elves of all kinds. She had a high elf aunt in Dalaran, and both of her parents had been high elves. She had nothing against other elves, and she was sad to think that she would eventually have to kill one of her brethren. She knew they weren't exactly her brethren, but she considered them that. They were all elves, anyway.

"Aya!" yelled Sylvanas over the wind.

Aya looked over and saw that the banshee was making the signal to split up with her hands. Aya nodded, and planned out what she would do quickly in her head. She looked forward, and saw a good place to split up. She waited anticipation and nerves welling up inside of her, for the moment. She held the rains of her horse tight, making sure that she would be able to make the turn.

The moment came and she quickly steered her horse sharply to the left. She heard the night elves sabers skid to slow down a bit, and the reluctant yowling's from the huge cats. Aya smiled, glad that the technique had worked. She didn't look back to see what was happening, she powered ahead, her skeleton horse neighing in protest beneath her. She ignored the animal, and urged it onwards.

Behind her she heard the rapid beats of the night sabers paws on earth. They had already caught up, and Aya began to wonder if the night elves had used speed accelerators. She glanced back for a moment, and saw that they were only a yard behind her. She was glad to see that they were tiring out, and hoped that they would give up the chase.

She began to wonder how her mentor Sylvanas was doing. She guessed that the banshee would be fine, but it was hard to tell. She knew the banshee queen was smart and tricky, but tricks didn't always work. A knot of anxiety began to form in the pit of her stomach, but she quickly smashed it. Worrying would get her nowhere, and right now she had to worry about her own safety before she could worry about Sylvanas's.

She looked ahead and saw that she was near the lake, and she could see traces of the blue water through the branches of the trees. A plan began to form in her head, but she needed to think it through a bit more. She looked back and saw that the rogues were right on her heels and she began to work through her plan.

Ahead of her, only about a half a mile up the bank of the lake, was a low hanging branch, which she could easily reach on her mount. She reached for her bow strapped on her back and quickly took it off, taking three arrows as well. She turned around and aimed one at the first sentinel. Her aim was spot on perfect, but the sentinel dodged it quickly.

But she wasn't trying to hit them; she was trying to make them fall back. She loosened the other two towards the two other night elves, and she watched them fall back a yard or more. She smiled at her success, and quickly put her bow back. She looked ahead to see that the branch was fast approaching, and she began to crouch on the saddle. She wobbled back and forth, almost falling off, but managed to stay on.

She breathed in deeply as the branch got even closer, and raised her arms up into the sky. She grabbed the branch and swung herself up and onto it, her heart beating rapidly from the speed and strength it had taken her to do such a thing. Below her, the night elves zoomed past, with her ex mount slowing down without a rider to guide it.

She watched as the night elves quickly figured out her trick, and turned around to head back. She climbed up to the branch above her, and crouched there, waiting for them to come back. She could see the lake from her spot in the tree, and she could easily shoot anyone from her height advantage. She got out her bow and readied another arrow, aiming towards the spot the night elves would pass.

She aimed it at the thigh of the night elf to the far left. It would wound her enough to make her fall off, but it would not kill her. Her heart beat more rapidly as the night elves got even closer. Closer, closer, closer and… she shot the arrow, hitting the arrow in the elves thigh just as she had planned. The night elf doubled over in pain and fell off her mount.

Her lone night saber wondered about in confusion, and ran off into the woods. The two other night elves stopped quickly and circled around their friend, confused. Aya quickly set up another arrow, knowing that the elves would expect it, and aimed it at the shoulder of the night elf farthest from her. The night elves heard her, but it was too late. Her arrow had hit the elf, and she had fallen off of her mount as well. The saber ran away into the woods, leaving one lone night elf.

This night elf was different from the others. She had better armor, and her dark purple hair was tied up into a high tail, bound with a diamond barrette. She wielded a long white steel sword, and she wore shining white warrior armor. Aya new she was not a rogue from the second she had seen her.

"Fandu-dath-belore?!" ("Who goes there?!") Hissed the night elf.

Aya new Darnassian very well from the times she had spent with her aunt in Dalaran.

"Xaxas." ("Doom.") Said Aya from the shadows.

The night elf did not flinch from the threat, but Aya could see the surprise in her eyes at learning that Aya could speak Darnassian.

"Candala ania dor ah!" (Come out and face me) hissed the night elf.

Aya, feeling brave, jumped down from the tree, with the gracefulness of a lioness. She stared at her enemy, right in the eyes, not afraid anymore.

"Bandalash fal doras." (You are weak) said Aya, spotting a gash on the night elves face, near her chin.

"For da lah anala shag or!" (My blade will wreak havoc upon you!) Hissed the night elf "Ana sha bordae!" (I will kill you right here!)

Aya smiled slightly and said "Ash Karath." (Do it.)

The night elf leaped forward, her blade extended, yelling out a fierce battle cry. Aya leaped to the side, avoiding the blade, and held out her bow. She clicked a small latch on it and to sharp steel points jutted out of either end of the bow. She smiled at her new weapon. She had made the bow especially for fighting, both ranged and up front.

The night elf staggered, but quickly regained her balance. She looked at Aya, rage in her eyes, and lunged at Aya. Aya stopped the blade with the tip of her bow, metal hitting metal, and a ding rang out from the clashing weapons. They became a swirling blur of blades hitting blades, Aya using her skill and speed to dodge the night elf blows, and using her bow to stop the blade as well.

Aya felt confident that she could win, but she was wrong. out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of the other night elves who were lying on the ground shoot out a arrow. She attempted to dodge it, but was only able to get out of the way enough so that it wouldn't hit any vital organs. It pierced her lower abdomen, and she fell to the ground. She clutched her stomach, trying to hold back the river of blood that was no escaping the wound.

She could feel the night elf's triumphant gaze descend upon her, and she only hoped for a quick death. But she looked up and saw that the night elf seemed to be rolling the idea of her death around in her head. Suddenly, eye felt an immense pressure descend upon her head, and she hissed in annoyance. Her head began to ache as a black darkness shrouded her mind, and she wondered if this was death. Just as she thought this, she heard a rough male voice speak inside her mind.

_"Summon a demon to fight her while you heal yourself," _it said.

_"What?!" _thought Aya _"Who is this? what do you want?"_

_T_he voice sighed in annoyance and said _"That does not matter right now. Summon the demon, and heal yourself before you bleed out."_

_"You still haven't answered my question." _said Aya. _"Who are you?"_

_"That doesn't matter right now." _snapped the voice _"Now, do as i said and summon a demon to fight for you."_

_"I'm an archer, not a warlock." _Aya retorted.

_"You are a blood elf, fool!" _snapped the voice _"Magic runs through your veins and through your heritage! Now, focus on the magic and summon an imp."_

Aya reluctantly began to focus on her inner magic. her inner magic was the magic she was born with. it was deep with in a fold in her mind, in a dark cavern that Aya never wanted to visit. She tapped into the magic, not sure how this would work out, and began to focus. She could feel the tingling sensation of power running down her arm, collecting in a large mass at her finger tips. Once it was built up, a few magic words stumbled out of her mouth, as quick as a river flowing down hill. She had no idea what the words were, they just came to her.

She heard a loud, evil cackle, and she looked up to see a felguard looming over her, walking toward the night elf with a sick smiled. as the two warriors began to clash, the mysterious voice in Aya's head began to speak again.

_"Now, heal yourself." _it said

"_How?" _asked Aya.

_"I will give you the words just focus on your magic." _it said.

Aya took a deep breath, and focused on her inner magic once again. She felt the tingling sensation growing in her hands, and words began to spill out of her mouth. They were a jumbled up mess, in a language Aya had never heard before. The blood stopped flowing from her wound, and the pain began to ebb away. She looked down to see the wound slowly closing itself up, and it was soon as flawless as it had been before.

Aya stood, new strength racing through her, and picked up her bow. In front of her, she watched as her felguard was decapitated, and Aya hissed in annoyance. she ran forward and attacked the night elf with the pointy ends of her bow. The night elf was caught off guard, and she was barely able to bring uo her sword in time as a shield. Aya was fresh and battle fit, but the night elf was tired and weak. With every swipe she began to mess up even more in more, gaining Aya a great advanatge.

Aya spotted her chance and whipped around the elf, catching her off guard. While she was distracted, Aya slashed at her opponent's legs quickly and swiftly, ripping off the armor and exposing the skin, which she ripped open quickly. With an anguished cry the night elf felt her knees, her hair falling out over her face.

Aya walked over to stand in front of her. The night elf looked up panting. The rage still burned inside her, but the fight had drained.

"Ash Karath." said the night elf, referring to Aya killing her.

Aya shook her head and said "Na pa notta ma brethren." (Not my brethren) "Qui dia li po livs." (Leave, while you still have your life.)

The night elf looked like she was about to say something back, but she was interrupted by the sudden rusting of the bushes nearby. Both elves turned to see none other than Sylvanas Windrunner walk through. The banshees had a long jagged cut down her arm, but other than that she was fine. She seemed tired, but interested at the same time.

"Well done, Aya." She said, looking at Aya "I have trained you well. You will make a great archer."

"Thank you, Shal'nar Sylvanas." (Shal'nar=aunt).

Sylvanas only nodded and looked over at the two wounded Night elves, lying not far from the bank. They were unconscious, and from the looks of it they seemed to be entering the afterlife. But they still breathed all though it was raspy and cracked.

Sylvanas walked over to the first one, the one with the bleeding thigh, and knelt down beside her. Her hand glowed with arcane magic, and she lifted it above her head slowly, as if she regretted what she was about to do.

"She shouldn't have to suffer." She said "No matter whose side she on. No one deserves to have a painful end."

"No!" shouted the night elf in front of Aya.

"It's too late." said Sylvanas without looking up "Shorel'aran." (Farewell) she muttered as the arcane energy coursed through the body of the dying night elf.

She went over to the next elf and did the same, looking saddened.

"You monster!" wailed the night elf who was still alive.

Aya could see tears brimming in her eyes, and she felt sorry for the elf.

Sylvanas whipped around, anger flaring in her crimson eyes. But it went away as quickly as it had come, as if the phrase no longer mattered to her. She went over to stand next to Aya.

"I suppose she'll have to die too." She said, with regret in her voice.

"Just do it already." Hissed the night elf.

An orb of arcane began to form in Sylvanas's hand.

"Wait!" said Aya. Sylvanas and the night elf looked at Aya questioningly, and she explained "Wouldn't it be better to keep her for questioning? She must know something about the alliance plans."

Sylvanas thought for a few moments and then said "Good idea Aya." The arcane orb in her hand dispersed and the banshee added "You are a military genius, just like Alleria." The banshee sighed and said "You're so much like your mother."

"I'd hope so," said Aya "She was a great and loyal fighter."

"The greatest." muttered Sylvanas.

Sylvanas went behind the night elf and pulled out a rope from her cloak. She wrapped the rope tightly around the elf's hands, receiving a few grunts from the night elf. Sylvanas hoisted the girl to her feet, and whistled for her mount to come.

Two skeletal horses, one Aya's, emerged from the forest. Sylvanas shoved the night elf onto the front of hers, and got on behind her. Aya walked over to her mount and hoisted herself up. Sylvanas took the lead as they trotted off at a slow pace towards Undercity. Aya took one last glance at the two dead night elves on the shore, wishing their fates hadn't been so tragic.

She looked back to the route in front, and began to increase her speed as Sylvanas did. They rode swiftly through the trees, the night elf lying on the back of Sylvanas's horse not making a sound. Aya began to wonder what the fate of the brave warrior would be. She hoped it wouldn't be grim, but she also wondered what secrets of the alliance the elf held inside her mind.

She took a deep breath, and began to relax. She was still jumpy from the battle, but she had relaxed slightly. A warm meal and a bed awaited her in the city, and she knew that Sylvanas would have a good story to tell when they got back. Aya relaxed in her saddle, picturing the good things to come.

But she couldn't, and she wondered what that could mean. What dread awaited them that hadn't already come?


	2. Chapter 2

Aya smiled as she opened up the door to her room. She had just gotten back from their long ride to Undercity, and she was exhausted. If she never sat in a saddle again, it would be too soon. Her thighs ached, and she guessed that she had a huge rash on each of them. She sighed, and plopped her bag onto the ground near her door. She would just have to get used to it, she would have to ride for the rest of her life.

She closed the door behind her, making sure it was locked, and looked around at her dimly lit room. It was small, but that's the way she liked it. It was in the shape of a hexagon, and the floors and walls were made with stone. She had an elven bed with red silk covers and a thin, transparent sheet of silk covering it. She had a small desk not far from her door with a mirror on it, where she kept her writing utensils and the few things she had for beauty. She also had a tall oak dresser on the opposite side, close to her bed.

There were no windows, so the room was lit by candles which hung on the wall. They were all lit, but the room still had and eerie feeling to it. But that was perfectly fine, she preferred it that way. She felt drawn to the shadows, oddly enough. She couldn't explain, but some part of her seemed to like the shadows. She had no idea why, but for the most part she ignored it. She assumed it was nothing.

She immediately went over to her desk, where her mail was put. She had been expecting a letter from her aunt in Dalaran for days now, and she was excited to see what it said. She hadn't seen her aunt in five years, since her cousins were born, and she missed her dearly. The only communication she had left with her was through letters which was barely enough.

Both of her aunts took turns caring for Aya, since they both wanted to see her since she was the only remnant they had left of Alleria. They each had ten years with her, switching back and forth. Another child would have gone nuts with this, but Aya liked it. She enjoyed being able to have both of her aunts around, she could never chose one over the other.

Her aunt Vereesa taught her the culture of the high elves, and introduced her to manners and what not. She had learned about the culture of the races from the alliance, and had occasionally met a few humans. Her aunt Sylvanas taught her battle tactics and how to be a rogue. She also taught her about being a leader, and responsibility. She valued these skills equally, and she was glad to have them.

She slid into the oak chair in front of her desk. She smiled when she saw a small white envelop on the desk with a red wax symbol of the silver convenant encasing it. She picked up the envelope and carefully picked off the wax seal, getting a few specks of red wax on her desk. She put the wax seal aside and took out the letter. It was a small letter, written on white parchment that was covered in brown smudges, showing its age.

She carefully unfolded it, not wanting to break the old paper, and stared at the curved words written in blue ink. The letter was written with so many curves it looked like a tangle of vines, but Aya had gotten used to the handwriting. It read:

_Dear Aya,_

_ It was a pleasure to read your latest letter. I'm glad that you have gotten better at archery, it runs in the blood. I'm sure you will be as great as your mother was; you have the potential to be. I have been doing fine, all though there have been a few attacks from the scourge not far from the city, but we handled that easily. _

_ The twins turned five only a few days ago, and they act it. Always getting into trouble, they are. But they are a pleasure, none the less. I hope things are doing well with you, and I wish this letter could have been longer, but Rhonin is going on about something to do with a Kirin tor meeting, and how we'll be late if we don't leave now. Your uncle sends you his best wishes. My best wishes to use as well and I hope I receive another letter from you soon._

_~Vereesa Windrunner_

Aya finished reading the letter and folded it up, putting it back in its envelop. She had completely forgotten about the twin's birthday, and she would have to remember to get them a present. She always did, and she wasn't about to stop now.

She put the envelope off to the side in a stack of letters she had gotten before and began to think. She supposed she could get the twins a potion or something, or maybe a pet cockroach from the vendor in undercity. She quickly crossed that idea out though, already imagining the terror on her aunt's face when she opened the package and was face to face with a humongous cockroach.

She giggled, knowing that the insect wouldn't stand a chance against her aunt's foot. Her aunt hated insects of all kinds, she shrieked when she saw them. She could go through as many battles with trolls that she had too, but she couldn't stand bugs.

She supposed that she could get the twins a toy of some sort, but she guessed that would be hard to get, since there were no children in Undercity. Which was a real bummer for Aya, she missed her cousin's sweet childish laughter, and her aunt had told her countless times of the stunts they had pulled. She missed there sweet little faces, and how innocent they could make themselves look.

She smiled, wishing they were here. But they would never come there. Her aunt Vereesa and Sylvanas would never meet, and Sylvanas would never get to see her nephews. When Aya was little, she used to wonder why her aunts never visited or asked about each other. But now, as an adult, she understood why. No matter how much they wanted to, the sisters could never meet. They were from two very different worlds now, worlds that could never mingle. And that would never change.

Aunt Vereesa never asked about Sylvanas, and aunt Sylvanas never asked about Vereesa. Aya knew they wanted to, but it seemed to be better that they didn't as if asking would hurt, reminding them of the fact that they could never ask each other in person. It was a sad way to go about life, one Aya never wanted to live, if she had siblings. But she was alone in the world. All she had were her aunts and her little cousins.

Aya had told her aunts about one another, but they never seem interested. Sylvanas never paid attention to Aya when she spoke of aunt Vereesa, and the same went with her aunt Vereesa when she tried to tell her about Sylvanas.

She sighed. Nothing would ever change that, and she would just have to learn to live with it. The two sisters would never see each other again, and that was for the best. No matter how miserable it was, it was for the best that they were separated, kept from harm.

Aya nearly jumped out of her seat when a loud knock on her door brought her out of her train of thought. She whipped around, looking at the door.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened with a creek, and there stood the undead form of Sylvanas Windrunner. Her expression wasn't grim, but rather uncaring. She her mouth was a straight line, showing no emotion, and her eyes were slightly closed, making her appear wise. She stepped through the doorway, looking over at Aya.

Her voice was dry and cracked; much like any other undead's voice. "I have important news," she said "There will be a meeting tonight, a dinner meeting, between the ambassador of Silvermoon and me. I would like you to come as well; you'll need the experience for when I'm gone."

Aya shuddered when her aunt said 'When I'm gone'. What had she meant?"

"Of course," she said "Why is the ambassador coming? Is there trouble in Silvermoon?"

Sylvanas shook her head "Some nonsense about the Ghostlands. One of the captains from Andorhal will also be coming; he needs to give me a report."

Aya raised an eyebrow. "Can't he just send a scout?" she asked.

Sylvanas shook her head "They've all been killed. He wants to get reinforcements. Bastard, forgetting all about our dead brethren who will need a ceremony."

"Were they not undead?" asked Aya.

"No, they were blood elves. Under the command of Koltira, I suspect. Their families will want news of them, and we will have to get burial arrangements in order. Now, enough of that. The dinner will be in thirty minutes, is that enough time?" Aya nodded "Good. I would bring Jael with you, its best."

Aya raised an eyebrow. Why should she bring her wolf to dinner? "Why?" she asked.

"I need to do… an experiment. Jael is the only wolf in Undercity, the only trained one that is. Make sure she doesn't eat the turkey, the cooks worked hard to find one that was still alive."

Aya smiled at her aunt's grim humor. She had learned to love it over the years.

"I don't have to wear a dress, do I?" asked Aya. She hated dresses.

"No," said Sylvanas "Something clean though. Your tunic is covered in blood, are you all right?"

Aya looked down at her tunic and saw that it was smothered in blood from where her wound had been, before she healed it.

"The enemies blood, I suppose," said Aya, not being able to tell her aunt that she was and archer who could use healing magic.

Sylvanas nodded, but worry clouded her crimson eyes. The banshee queen walked over to Aya and stood next to her. She put a cold hand on her nieces shoulder, making Aya want to shudder. But she restrained herself, not wanting to remind her aunt of her undeath.

"Be careful, Aya," said her aunt in a soft, yet firm, voice "You are an excellent archer, just like your mother, but even the windrunners can be slain, as I have proved. You are the only remnant of Alleria that I have left, and I don't want to lose you like I did my sisters. Promise me you will be careful,"

Aya was confused at her aunts sudden heart to heart, but she didn't show it. "Of course, aunt Sylvanas." She said.

Her aunt blinked, then let go of her shoulder. Changing the subject completely she said "Get ready, it's almost time for dinner." before leaving the room.

Aya sat there, confused. Her aunt's warning had come out of nowhere, and her aunt Sylvanas rarely ever had a heart to heart with anyone, not even her kin. But she guessed that something had made her aunt worry, causing her to say such a mysterious thing.

But she had to forget about for now; she would have to start getting ready. She stood up, pushing in her chair, and walked over to where her dresser stood. She opened up the top drawer, which is where she kept her best armor. She rummaged through it until she picked out what she would where.

She would where her blue plate armor, a gift she had received from her aunt Vereesa on one of her birthdays long ago. It had a pair of blue boots and pants, a blue vest, blue spaulders with owl feathers coming out of the ends, blue gloves, and a dark blue cloak. Each piece of the set was embroidered with gold, and the vest was decorated with gold swirls. It was her favorite set of armor, and she rarely wore. She decided tonight night as well be the night that she did.

She got it on quickly, making sure not to scratch it. Once she was sure that it was on correctly, she walked back over to her desk. On her desk was a small wooden brush, with little strands of light blond hair tangled in it. She picked it up and began to brush through her light blonde, almost white, hair. It was a simple matter, and she was done quickly. She fixed her hair so that it lay over her breast plate, which made her look quite beautiful. Lastly, she donned her cloak, putting the hood over her head, which concealed her almost completely.

Satisfied that she was dressed appropriately for the occasion, she left her room, heading for the stables, where her wolf Jael was kept. She set her pace at a slow stroll, not in a hurry. In fact, she was quite the opposite. She was not a fan of going to her aunts dinner meetings. She liked eating dinner and being able to talk with her aunt about personal things, being free to speak of whatever she wished. In a dinner meeting, she felt like she was in a trial. She had to be extremely careful with what she said, so for the most part she was silent. And her aunt was always busy with their guests.

And so, she kept her place slow, not wanting to arrive early for the dinner.

She was walking through a stone walled tunnel, which connected her room to the throne room. Most of the rooms in the royal quarter were set up this way, all leading to the throne room. They were built similar to the sewers, large winding hallways that made it tricky for enemies not to get lost. But there was always the fact that at the end of each hallway was a foot thick wooden door, locked almost all the time, with two deathguards standing outside of it at all times. So, one could say that it would be very hard to break into any of the halls, but at least an enemy would find it hard to maneuver through the passage ways if they did somehow break in.

Aya reached the end of the hall and came upon the huge wooden door. She pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open and walking out into the throne room. She shoved the key in her pocket and continued through the city, heading towards the city stables.

The city stables, more like the royal stables, was a genuine top notch facility, housing all mounts and pets for the high way robbery price of fifty gold per night. It was and extremely outrageous price, even with their excellent service. Luckily, Aya was able to get it for free, since she was technically royalty, but she didn't think herself that. She may have been related to the banshee queen, but she was no one to fuss over.

She walked out of the throne room and into the apothecarium. She was greeted with the harsh odors of chemicals, most likely deadly, and she coughed slightly. She had lived in that city for many years, but no living creature could ever get used to the horrible odors of the apothecarium. She had to rush out of there, if she stayed to long she could get poisoning.

She rushed out of the apothecarium, passing a few shops on her way, and entered the trade center. The trade center smelled better, but the green goop that filled the trenches wasn't exactly pleasant either. The trade center was bustling with people, most of them in the upper part, buying and selling different things.

Aya could hear the distinct sound of a goblin merchant yelling over the crowd trying to sell something for far more than it was worth. She smiled. This was the part of Undercity she liked. There were races of all kinds here, all from the horde of course. Forsaken, some blood elves, a few orcs, some trolls here and there, and she occasionally saw a tauren or two.

She walked up the closest ramp, having to go through a crowd that had gathered around the bank, and walked up a second, smaller, ramp which led onto a small ledge. On the ledge was an undead woman surrounded by animals of all kinds. Some were on leashes, but most weren't.

Aya walked up to the woman and asked "Can I have Jael? She's needed for royal purposes."

The undead nodded and said "Of course, lady Aya." as she turned around and sorted through the animals.

She picked out a large female white wolf, and ushered it towards Aya. Aya greeted her pet with open arms and a rub on the head. Her wolf barked a welcome. Jael was large, reaching up to Aya's thigh in height, and she was extremely muscular especially in the shoulders and legs. Aya made the command with her hand for Jael to follow, and they left the stables.

She left the trade center, going back into the apothecarium, and quickly went into the throne room, Jael following close by her side. The throne was dimly lit, which meant there were guests here. The dimly lit room made the place feel eerie and odd, and Aya often wondered if her aunt had done it to scare of guests, or to warn them of their power.

She walked over to a large wooden door in the back of the throne room, which was already open. She walked through and came into a dark hall made of stone, lit only by candlelight. She went down the windy hall, and came to another doorway, which was again open. She walked through and came into the dining hall.

The dining hall was a ling, rectangular room, with tall stone walls surrounding it menacingly. There was an old chandelier, covered in cobwebs, far above her head, with every tiny candle lit, making the room glow. In front of her stretched a long wooden table, with many chairs for guests. Each chair had a plate in front of it, set with royal utensils from Silvermoon city. At the head of the table was a large chair, for the dark lady herself, which was much taller than the others.

The guests for the night had already arrived, and Sylvanas was talking with each of them. She seemed bored and uncaring towards the people who had come, not paying much attention to them. The guests seemed to be trying to impress Aya's aunt, which was failing.

As she entered the room, all eyes seemed to fall on her, and she felt slightly embarrassed. Everyone seemed to be curious as to whom she was, and she expected none the less. She may have had the figure of an elf, but it was easy to tell that she wasn't just any regular blood elf.

Her aunt approached her, looking as bored as ever. She stood next to Aya, dwarfing her. Aya may have been taller than most others, but her aunt bested her in height by a landslide. All though her high heeled boots gave her a large edge.

"This," said her aunt "Is my niece, Aya Windrunner."

The few guests that were there seemed confused, and there was slight murmuring among them. This was understandable, since barely anyone knew that the dark lady had a niece. Most stayed back, watching Aya wearily.

But one man approached her, a blood elf man, with long red hair and red mage robes.

He dipped his head slightly, a gesture of respect, and said "Greetings, lady Aya. I am ambassador Sunsorrow, from Silvermoon."

Aya dipped her head slightly as well, showing respect to him. "I am Aya Windrunner, niece of Sylvanas Windrunner."

The ambassador was much older than her, but he also looked slightly charming. He had long red hair which fell down over his shoulders and a small goatee on his chin.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he said "I was unaware that Lady Sylvanas had a niece, tell, me are you Alleria or Vereesa's daughter?"

"I am the daughter of Alleria Windrunner," said Aya "Yes, not many people know of me. But I like it that way,"

The man seemed slightly surprised, "Alleria's daughter? I was unaware that she had any children. I assume that your father is Turalyon,"

Aya raised an eyebrow, "Turalyon? Who was he?"

It was the ambassadors turn to raise his eyebrow "Turaylon was Alleria's lover. I just assumed that he would be your father,"

"I have heard none about this Turalyon person," said Aya "I have no clue as to who my father was, neither of my aunt's do."

The ambassador's eyebrow was still raised in confusion. "How odd," he said "I suppose that would be something to ask your aunt about then."

The ambassador bowed in a farewell and walked away, over to a feisty looking female blood elf that looked as if she wasn't having a good time. She looked like she wanted to pull out her sword and wreck the place. It reminded Aya a little of her aunt, but with less impatience. At the moment Sylvanas looked irritated, to the extreme.

Jael began to growl deep in her throat as a forsaken man walked by, and the man stopped to look at the wolf.

"Feisty, I see." He said to Aya.

"Very," said Aya, lying. Jael almost never growled, she was a sweet heart most of the time.

"That's why I never became a hunter, I hate animals, there meant to be outside, not indoors." said the man.

Aya wanted to protest, but the most she could do was frown.

The man smiled and said "I am Captain Galliger, head of the forsaken encampment in eastern Tirisfal."

Aya didn't even bother to dip her head "I am Aya Windrunner." She said blandly.

"Ah," said the man "The niece of the windrunner sisters and the daughter of Alleria, which would explain you're most dazzling eyes."

The man was referring to Aya's beautiful eyes, which were not a blood elf green, but rather a bright sapphire blue, marking her deep high elf heritage. She had gotten many compliments about how beautiful her eyes were, and they were all true. Her eyes were known for how alluring they were.

Before they could say anything more, a bell rang, signaling that dinner would start. Everyone went to where their seats were, Aya next to her aunt at the head of the table. Once everyone was seated, the forsaken cooks came out with trays of food for everyone. It surprisingly smelled good, and Aya wondered what they were having.

A plate of roast boar was put in front of her, and she licked her lips hungrily. She was surprised that the cooks had prepared such a dinner, it was very hard to find a non-corrupted boar in tirisfal, or anywhere around Undercity in general. They usually would have served some native wood, vampire bat wings usually, which were not as delicious as the boar.

She was also given a glass of purple liquid, which she did not know of. She put the glass to her lips, about to drink it, when a tiny voice warned her otherwise.

_Don't drink;_ it said _Poison lurks in it. _

It was the voice from before, the voice that had aided her in battle earlier that day. She was suspicious, but she slowly put the glass down, deciding to take the advice.

As Aya ate, using complete manners, the ambassador and Sylvanas began to speak with each other. Aya paid little attention to them, not caring about whatever it was that had to do with the Ghostlands. There was little more the forsaken could do, their forces had already been deployed there to help.

They both talked for a while, the ambassador trying to convince Sylvanas to do more and the dark lady trying to tell him that there was nothing more to be done. Aya sided with her aunt, of course. She had learned much about government from both of her aunts, and she had helped her aunt Sylvanas quite frequently.

Aya devoured her meal quickly, but she still managed to be graceful at the same time. Jael sat next to her seat, munching quietly on boar scraps the cooks had given her.

Soon the ambassador and the dark lady were done talking, the dark lady having won.

"Captain Galliger," she said addressing the captain "Give me your report. Make it fast, don't waste my time."

Sylvanas seemed irritated, but she was also watching the captain very closely.

The captain smiled, and put down his fork. He stood, looking around at all of the people as he walked around the table, giving his report.

"We are doing fairly well in reclaiming Andorhal," he began "The alliance are starting to retreat further into their base, making it easier for us to conquer more of the land." He paused, looking at the dark lady "We seem to be pushing back the alliance forces, and I believe that we will conquer Andorhal within the month."

He finished standing behind Aya's chair. Aya saw Jael tense out of the corner of her eye, and she readied herself for an attack.

The dark lady smiled slightly. "It is funny that you should say this, captain," said Galliger "Because according to a report a received only a few days ago, it is the forsaken that have been pushed back into their camps, and we seem to be losing our hold on the land."

All eyes went to the captain, everyone looking questioning.

Aya could feel the man frown behind her. "Why, they must have misunderstood."

"Oh really?" asked the dark lady as she stood up, slowly making her way over to where the captain stood as she spoke "Did you know, captain, that Galliger's mangled remains were found today in a lake not far from Tirisfal? Did you know that I had spies following you all the way from Andorhal to here?" Aya could hear the dark lady stop not far behind her, and the captain gulp.

The dark lady picked up Aya's glass and held it in front of the captain's face.

"Did you enjoy your drink today, captain?"" she asked "It should be taking effect soon."

Jael jumped to her feet, growling and barking at the captain.

"What have you done?" asked the man.

As the liquid took effect, the captain slowly turned into his real form, a human man.

"Well, captain?" asked Sylvanas.

The man stood there, not moving. Aya was tense, ready to attack. She was still facing her plate, not sure of what to think.

All of a sudden she was ripped out of her seat from behind, and something sharp and metal was placed hard on her throat. In front of her Jael was tenser than she had ever been, barking loudly and ready to jump. Sylvanas was scowling at the man, her daggers pulled, ready for the kill. Everyone at the table was tense, hands on their weapons.

The captain's arm was wrapped around Aya's throat, restricting her movement. She was attempting to pull his arm off, but she failed. Her breathing came in gasps, the dagger making it harder to breath. As she struggled to get free, the dagger was pulled closer to her throat, and she gave up.

"You just had to make this harder," said the captain in his real voice, which was deep and stern "This could have been much simpler; I could have gotten my information and left, without having to harm this sweet little elf."

He brushed some of Aya's light blonde hair out of her face, as if to emphasize his point.

"You touch one little hair on her head and I swear on the name of the titans that I will hunt you down and make you suffer all that I have to offer!" Sylvanas growled.

The banshee queen took a step forward, and the dagger was pushed further into Aya's skin, causing her to gasp.

"Ah ah ah," said the captain "I wouldn't go any further, unless you want me to slit her little throat."

No one made a move, everyone was watching the captain.

Of course it was now that the annoying little voice in Aya's head decided to speak.

_Burn his hands, _it said _Use your magic to burn his hands so that you can get away._

_How? _asked Aya.

_Use your magic, _said the voice _you'll know what to do._

Aya did as the voice said, closing her eyes and slipping into her subconscious. She knew how to get to the magic, but it would take some time. She felt herself going deeper and deeper into her mind, being guided by the voice to her inner magic. She was delving deep into her mind, and she found it hard not to get lost. There were many other paths she could go along, paths she didn't even know existed, but she forced herself to stay focused.

As she went deeper and deeper she could feel her magic getting closer and closer. She pushed herself along, knowing that it was very close. She felt the magic, getting closer and closer, its warm energy burning deep into her wandering mind. Suddenly she found it, a bright orange mass of swirling energy deep within the core of her mind.

She lunged at it, not really thinking about what would happen. It quickly spread through her body, making her burn. She was forced out of her magical core, and when she opened her eyes her hands burned. She could feel the energy, lingering in her palms, waiting to be released. She obeyed its command of freedom, and her hands lit up in flames.

The captain let go of her with an anguished scream, and his arms were blacked from Aya's hands. He was killed swiftly by one of Sylvanas's daggers, but Aya couldn't stop the flame. It quickly escaped her control, shooting out and incinerating the man.

She was surprised, and curious as to how her aunt would react. But when she looked back at her aunt's face, it was neither of curiosity or shock, but rather of fear. Complete and total fear, dripping from every feature of her body, and she seemed to be in a different place, reliving a moment of the past that Aya would never understand.


End file.
